Convent of Mercy Before Demolition

More than 25 photographs of the Convent of Mercy in Strabane, have been geo-positioned and uploaded to the WhatWasThere website. These photographs were taken in the 1990s, shortly before the demolition of the site. Evish Grove estate now stands on the site of the old convent. What follows is just a small selection of the images now available on WhatWasThere.













Images by Mr P. McDaid; supplied to the blog by Mr Curley Hill.

Downloads
 If you wish to inspect the location of the images in Google Earth, a KML file is now available for download. Alternatively you can view the Map from your browser.

Android users can click on the Convent Map link.


Related Images:

Knockavoe viewed from Lifford late 1880s

Looking East from Lifford late 1880s (approx 200 yards SW of Lifford bridge) | fullsize
Image supplied by Mr Curlyhill. The original metal sign can be found at the UAFP.

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• 1894: 13-16 July: The Finn Valley/Donegal Railway line converts to 3'0" narrow gauge. 
  A new railway bridge constructed over the River Mourne opens. (see Donegal section)

For a more accurate location see the Photo History Map, or load the BlogPhoto.KML file into Google Earth.

Quote: Mr Curlyhill
My deduction of this is that it was a promotional item issued by a Wine and Spirit Merchant called Sproule and McIvor. They were in existence in 1882 but no Longer in the 1890s.
The last recorded name of Sproule & McIvor was between 1891 and 1892, thereafter it became solely McIvor.  This is my deduction of the drawing being done in the late 1880s. 

Building locations: extrudes from the 1905 ordnance survey in Google Earth. Strabane Bridge is represented by the horizontal box at the bottom of F,G and H.

It is possible that the large building on the extreme right edge of the Sproule and McIvor poster, (also shown as the marker labeled 'H' in the Building locations 3D reconstruction), is the tower at Saint John's Church. Saint John's was built in 1827 on the current site of Strabane Grotto. A tower was added to the church in the year 1837. (See related document: Christianity and Catholicism in Strabane before 1895)

• Narrator: Sister Ursula (Convent of Mercy)
• Audio Source: Mr Curlyhill
• Song Lyrics: Willliam Collins
• Closed captioning is available at Youtube.com.

The lyrics to the song "At the foot of Knockavoe" were written by William Collins. Collins was born in Strabane in 1840 and emigrated to Canada at the age of 15. Later he moved to Cleveland and enlisted in the Federal Army. He fought in both the American Civil War, and in the Fenian Raid of Canada. After the wars, he wrote several books of poems. Collins also wrote for the Boston Globe and the New York Globe.

In recent times, the words from Collins's poem "At the foot of Knockavoe" were put to music by Strabane man and local musician, Joseph Gormley.

Related Documents:

1	Christianity and Catholicism in Strabane before 1895
2	Annals of The Four Masters Transcribed by Michael Harron, MSc, MSc
3	A Sigh For Old Times William Collins poem of Strabane.

Here is the download link to the Battle of Knockavoe points-of-interest file.
To use: Open the file inside Google Earth.


Knockavoe battle analysis by Mr Curlyhill | click image for fullsize


Related links:
Strabane District Council - William Collins
Death notice of Sr Ursula Mc Hugh Dec-20-2010

Related Images:

Kennedy's Fire Escape

Strabane Market House ( Town Hall pre-1904). Looking NW along Main Street | fullsize

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• 1752: Town Hall (aka Market House) opens
  
• 1904: Major renovations to the hall are complete.

Slideshow:

1893: James Kennedy (beard and top hat) at Mount Kennedy.
For more information on Kennedy's Escape see the "Related Documents" section below.

The images in the slideshow were taken from a sales brochure published in 1893 (date supplied by Mr Curlyhill). They show a public demonstration of 'Kennedy's Patent Fire Escape' at Mount Kennedy, near the Convent of Mercy.  After Mr Kennedy's death in 1901, the Mount Kennedy building was sold to the Convent of Mercy. It was renamed Saint Anne's. In 1928 the building became part of the Convent Grammar School.

Newspaper Article
Derry Journal, Friday, May 2, 1884

Related Documents:

1	Fires and Fire Fighting in Strabane during the 18th and 19th centuries
2	Kennedy's Factory

Related Images:

 

Convent of Mercy and Chapel 1895

Looking Southeast from the burial grounds. | fullsize
One of the earliest photographs of the Convent Chapel dating to 1895.
[Photo from Mr Curlyhill]

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Convent Founders:

• John Carlin, James Kennedy, Francis O Neill
• Mother Catherine Atkinson (Sisters of Mercy, Navan),
  The Very Rev. Dr. Devlin, P.P

The Convent of Mercy opened June 9th 1868. Constructed initially as an orphanage and centre for the education of neglected and abandoned girls; later the convent included a boarding school for girls that had had a more conventional family upbringing.

Timeline: Convent of Mercy 1868-2009
click on each event for additional information.

1868	Jun	9	Convent opens.
1869	Nov	30	St Catherine's Industrial School certified.
1870			Orphanage opens.
1876	May	10	Epidemic kills child and nun.
1881	Oct	16	Convent Chapel Consecration
1897			Strabane nuns at the Siege of Mafeking
1900	Sep	24	Queen Victoria thanks Mother Teresa & Sister Evangelist
1911			Public laundry opens
1928			Grammar and Preparatory schools open
1928			Public laundry closes

1951			Orphanage closes
1960	Feb	6	Girls Voluntary Intermediate School opens
1968			Grammar school moves to Curly Hill
1990			St Anne's Primary School opens
2007			Convent Grammar Closes
2009	Aug		Convent Grammar School is demolish

Download full timeline: Convent_Timeline.csv


Convent Chapel interior and altar as it looked when the building opened 1881. The marble high altar was donated by Mrs Mary Browne, and was executed by the architect and sculptor William Patrick O'Neill.The foundation stone of the chapel was laid on the feast day of Sacred Heart, 1879. The architects were John O'Neill and William Henry Byrne.
[Photo from Mr Curlyhill]

[more information on Dictionary of Irish Architects:]


Video: Choir at the annual Thanksgiving Mass June 8 1994
The mass commemorated the Convent foundation June 9 1868.
This was the last mass at the Convent before its closure.


World History 1899-1900:

• Siege Of Mafeking: Soldiers and civilians wounded at Mafeking are nursed by nuns of Strabane Convent.
• 1900 - 24 Sept: Mother Teresa and Sister Evangelist are invited to Windsor Castle. The Queen, accompanied by Princess Beatrice [Princess Henry of Battenberg], thank the nuns for their efforts at Mafeking.
• Newspaper Article:
  New Zealand Tablet, 24 January 1901 Page 4
  Mafeking Nuns At Windsor. 

• Website:
  Sisters of Mercy: South Africa - Our Story

Related Images:
 

Convent of Mercy and Mount Kennedy

Looking Northwest from Springhill Park | fullscreen

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Spires left to right:
o First Presbyterian 1872 - just on left edge of the postcard
o Church of the Immaculate Conception 1895
o Christ Church 1879 - in the far distance behind Mount Kennedy.
o Convent Chapel 1881
o Convent 1868

The small building near the middle of the photograph was called Mount Kennedy. It was the home of Mr James Kennedy; shirt manufacturer and a founder of the Convent of Mercy 1868. After Mr Kennedy's death 1901 the Sisters Of Mercy purchased the building and renamed it St. Anne's. In 1928 St Anne's became the nucleus of the original Convent Grammar School, until a new building was opened in the Curley Hill in 1968.

Convent of Mercy founders:

• John Carlin, James Kennedy, Francis O Neill
• Mother Catherine Atkinson (Sisters of Mercy, Navan)

Convent Timeline 1868-2009

Map 1905 Ordnance Survey: Convent and Church of the Immaculate Conception


Related Images:

Town c1902 - NE from Ballycolman

Looking Northeast from Ballycolman. | fullsize

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Postcard Published by Gray & Sons circa 1902

• Spires left to right:
  o First Presbyterian, Church 1872
  o Church of the Immaculate Conception 1895
  o Convent and Convent of Mercy Chapel 1881

Butcher Street and the Hibernian Bank

Looking Northwest along Butcher Street | fullsize

View on WhatWasThere

A group of young school boys stop to pose for the camera before making their way to class. Behind the group is the Hibernian Bank addressed at 8 New Street (1901 Census House and Building Return).

1985 the west side of Butcher Street was demolished to improve the town centre. This was carried out by Mr Billy Doherty, a local contractor.

Related Documents:

1	Butcher Street 1901 Census: House and Building Return Part1
2	Butcher Street 1901 Census: House and Building Return Part2

St Colman's High School 1960 - 1980

Looking Northwest along Melmount Rd. | fullscreen

• 1958: Saint Colmans opens.  Mr John Maultsaid is the first principle.
  The original staff included John Hume (later became leader of the SDLP, MEP for Foyle, and co-recipient Nobel Peace Prize 1998) and P.J Grimley who later became headmaster of the school in 1978
• 2003: The school is refurbished and becomes Holy Cross College.

World History:
 
John Hume Nobel Peace Speech 1998

Strabane High School 1960 - 1980

Looking East along Derry Rd. | fullscreen

• Opened in 1964.
  
• Mr Ernie Cave was the first headmaster.